


100 Words

by Pyrrhic_Victory (our_end)



Series: Fandom Works - Aaron and Ace [2]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Dark!Atlantis, M/M, Mental Illnesses, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Violence, Military, Minor Character Death, Multi, Nightmares, Serious Injuries, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture, Trauma, canon character death, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 06:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8701834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/our_end/pseuds/Pyrrhic_Victory
Summary: A collection of drabbles for a '100 prompts, a 100 words' challenge. Featuring mostly Ace Graves, an Original Male Character, and Major Evan Lorne, and how they deal with the demons in each other's head.(Dark!Atlantis tag only applies to some of the drabbles.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't going to post this at all, since I don't like posting things with my OCs in it, but this time, I figured nothing bad would come out of it. If you have any questions about the following drabbles, feel free to ask! Enjoy!

  1. **Introduction**



“Hey.”

The man was smiling at him, brightly. Ace’s eyes focused on that smile. Simple, honest smile. No teeth. No sneer. The man held out a hand.

“I’m Major Evan Lorne. I guess I’m your new commanding officer.”

Ace’s gloves protected him from skin-to-skin contact, but the moment their hands met, Lorne’s smile only widened. Ace swallowed.

This would be… different.

  1. **Complicated**



“Is he alright?” Lorne asked Carson after Ace had essentially fled. The doctor shrugged.

“That very much depends on yer definition of ‘alright’, Major.” Beckett answered, putting down his notepad on the desk. Evan’s worried stare made him sigh. “But for now, aye. The lad’s alright.”

  1. **Making History**



“Graves, it’s not rocket science. Just say ‘hello’.” That didn’t do much to appease him. He wanted to stay in the Jumper, as childish as that seemed. He couldn’t really just say he was nervous. Not over meeting new people. And not to Lorne’s face.

He much rather be handling rocket science, though.

  1. **Rivalry**



Ace silently wondered if Doctor Weir’s rules didn’t apply to Zelenka and Major Lorne. She had told everyone to stay away from the consoles.

Though, watching them was rather amusing.

  1. **Unbreakable**



Bullet in his shoulder. Kneecap and collarbone broken. Third degree burn on his chest. Breathing was hard. Thinking was hard. Staying conscious was hard. Falling unconscious was harder. Especially because Arin kept poking him with red-hot metal pliers.

He’d gotten bored of Ace’s silence about two hours ago.

  1. **Obsession**



(Set in Dark!Atlantis)

John smirked. He knew Ace was watching him again. Probably perched on the rafters or hidden in the shadows of the corridors. He _felt_ the stare trained on him. The sergeant’s little crush was amusing.

After all, it was entertaining to see raven-haired, blue-eyed Genii corpses show up randomly in the city.

  1. **Eternity**



His legs were dangling over the edge, his body one little push away of being scrambled inwards hundreds of feet below. He could. He wanted to.

But he also wanted to stay on the edge, just like this. The line between life and death thinning every second.

He could stay like this forever.

  1. **Gateway**



"Go, go, go!"

They were panting as the Stargate closed behind them.

Well, that planet was a big fat 'no'. Friendly natives their asses.

  1. **Death**



He couldn't, he couldn't, _he couldn't_...

"Graves, come on. Let's get you out of here."

He _didn't want to_...

"You'll freeze to death like this. Come on, let's go."

Carson was...

Carson was...

  1. **Opportunities**



"Sergeant, do you mind taking a look at this?"

"Graves, do you know where I left my rifle?"

"When's the meeting today?"

"Did something happen?"

Ace sighed. He just wanted to have lunch in peace.

  1. **33%**



"Graves, where are Reeves and Smith?" Lorne asked. The sergeant looked at him, eyes wide, skin paler than usual. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

His team... His fault... All his fault...

"Graves?" The major was getting worried. The two lieutenants should be with Graves. And the natives on the planet were not known for their friendliness.

"They're... gone."

  1. **Dead Wrong**



(Set in Dark!Atlantis)

Ace snickered, then laughed loudly, then quietened again before he woke the major up. Lorne didn't like being woken up in the middle of the night. And beatings were only fun sometimes. The Genii had called him a mindless weapon. He had been wrong.

And now he was _dead_ wrong.

Heh.

  1. **Running Away**



“And where de ye think ye’re going, Sergeant?”

He stopped in his tracks. Maybe the doctor wasn't talking to him? Or maybe he had confused him with another sergeant? A firm hand on his shoulder told him otherwise.

"Ye're not getting out of here without treating those burns."

Graves sighed internally. Caught.

Again.

  1. **Judgment**



They were watching him. Their eyes on him. Staring. Judging.

Why had he done it? Was he a spy? A Goa’uld? Had he been turned by a Wraith?

_Was he safe to be around?_

_Could he stay on the City?_

  1. **Seeking Solace**



The balcony nearest to his room was always empty at night. Most people were sleeping. He couldn’t. He didn’t want to.

_Cruel smiles and shrieking voices._

Lorne found Graves the next morning, asleep against the handrail.

  1. **Excuses**



_I wasn’t myself._

_He was scaring me._

_It’s what I was programmed to do._

_I had to._

_I wasn’t in control._

_I didn’t mean to kill him._

_It won’t happen again._

_Please._

  1. **Vengeance**



Lorne stared down at Arin, while Markham cracked his knuckles behind him and Cadman stood twirling a knife. The Genii had quickly lost his attitude, bound as he was, under their unrelenting glares. All hopes of negotiation were gone.

“You did some mean things to our friend, didn’t you? Don’t worry, we just want to return the favour.”

Bone by broken bone.

  1. **Love**



A hand ran through his hair, a heartbeat under his ear. An arm tightened around him. He could stay forever. How he wanted to… Stare into blue, clear eyes every day, lay in strong arms every night. Maybe they could.

Lorne certainly didn’t seem like he wanted to let go anytime soon.

  1. **Tears**



“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

A hand touched his shoulder and he recoiled. A hesitation.

“Graves?”

He shook his head. Buried his face deeper in his arms.

“Ace… look at me.”

Lorne’s face was blurry, and it took him a few seconds to understand why.

Arms around him.

“It’s going to be all right.”

  1. **My Inspiration**



Graves was… graceful in battle. His movements were fluid, trained to perfection. Every muscle obeying a very strict set of lightning-fast commands, absolutely no mistakes in his forms, no hesitation in his attacks, no flinches in his defences.

Lorne was certainly not using him as inspiration for his paintings. Not at all.

  1. **Never Again**



“This won’t hurt a bit. Just make you a little more… open-minded.”

He head-butted the Genii scientist the moment he got close enough. The man fell back, clutching at his nose, screaming in pain. The syringe he had been carrying fell to the floor, shattering.

Graves sneered, subduing the two guards even with his hands bound behind his back. He wasn’t going to let himself be put through that again. Once was enough.

  1. **Online**



Being in the Chair was like being connected to the City all at once. He felt the people on it, walking in its corridors, the drones stored in the armoury, the Jumpers in the hangar bay. She was like a second consciousness in his head.

It gave him one hell of a migraine.

  1. **Failure**



_If you had been quicker._

"Graves, it's okay."

_If you had payed more attention to your surroundings._

"Sergeant, it was not a vital mission, don't worry."

_If you had done your job properly._

  1. **Rebirth**



"Sergeant, can ye hear me?"

He stared at Carson, taking a moment to realize where he was. He nodded slowly. A pressure in the back of his head made itself known. Morphine.

"Yer heart stopped three times in surgery." The doctor sounded cross. "Please try to refrain jumping in front of an arrow in the future, would ye?"

  1. **Breaking Away**



_Do what I tell you._

No.

_No? You’re acting like you have a choice, boy. You’re mine._

No. I’m not. I’m free. Nobody owns me.

_Pathetic._

I don’t care. I won’t listen to you anymore.

  1. **Forever and a day**



“What do you want?” A soft voice in his ear murmured, warm and strong arms wrapped around him, shielding him from everything else. Ace sighed.

“This. Just this.”

  1. **Lost and Found**



This cell was white. It had a bed. His last one had been...

_Cold walls, blood on the floor, heavy chains..._

There was a man. He didn't know him. He didn't think he did. Blue eyes and grey hair and general stripes. Different from...

_Dark, beady eyes, cruel smile..._

"Glad to have you back, Sergeant."

Who?

  1. **Light**



Ace smiled and the team almost stopped to stare at him. Two years, and they had had yet to see a genuine smile from the man. Not a self-deprecating smirk. He regained his composure as quickly as he had lost it, resuming his stony attitude. But they had seen it.

A first ray of light in the years-old darkness.

  1. **Dark**



Markham shuddered, looking at his teammate. Woolsey should never had let Graves interrogate the spy. He was... distinctively out of control. His voice was low and soft, murmuring horrid threats, making cuts so small most wouldn't even notice, but strategically. Painfully. It spoke to the darkest part of Markham’s soul.

He excused himself abruptly, feeling his lunch wanting to make a reappearance.

  1. **Faith**



"They're okay."

Everyone turned around to stare at Graves, astonished. He swallowed under their gazes. He had no proof. But he _knew_ the colonel and his team were alive.

He just did.

  1. **Colours**



Graves had very little colour, Evan thought. His hair was a blond so pale he had to be bleaching it. His skin told of very little time under the sun. And his eyes, blue like Lorne's or Sheppard's, lacked the warmth and depth of his superiors'.

Lorne had been using a lot of white in his paintings lately.

  1. **Exploration**



Ace shivered uncontrollably, but he wasn't cold. He felt like he was on fire, in fact. He couldn't move, but he wasn't tied down. A small cry left him unbidden.

Evan smiled against his neck, letting warm hands roam some more.

  1. **Seeing Red**



The sound of a gun being fired and a scream made him stop in his tracks. He turned around, walking, then running, ripping through the forest.

The Genii scout had a bullet in his head the moment Graves stepped into the clearing. The next got a knife to the throat. The third and the fourth, smashed skulls.

Lorne watched helplessly from the ground, clutching his bleeding thigh.

If there was one thing Ace was good at, it was cold-blooded carnage.

  1. **Shades of Grey**



"He's not evil." Lorne bit out. Woolsey looked up at him in surprise. "He's not." The major said more softly.

"That may be the case, Major, but you can't ignore the fact that his... methods are quite unorthodox."

"That doesn't make him evil. He's a good soldier."

"That doesn't make him a good human being."

  1. **Forgotten**



“The facility was abandoned months ago, sir. There was no recent activity.”

“Damn. Well, I guess we’ll have to find another of the Trust’s hideouts. Did you find anything else, Lieutenant?”

“Well, sir…”

“Lieutenant?”

“There was… There was someone in the cells.”

  1. **Dreamer**



_“Now, no more of that silly fantasy you’ve come up with.” A voice whispered. “It’s ridiculous. Look at you. Who would even want to be your friend?” They flashed him a cruel, cruel smile. “Better wizen up, boy. Before I decide you need to be punished again.” A cold hand on his neck, and…_

Graves screamed awake.

  1. **Mist**



He watched as Graves disappeared behind the thick, white fog. Lorne knew he should stop him, before he got hurt. Before he hurt someone. But there was no stopping him now. Whoever was hiding in that mist, friend or foe, best start saying their prayers.

  1. **Burning**



“Well, the fever’s gone down somewhat.” The doctor informed the major. “But there’s no telling when it will disappear.” Putting his hand on Graves’ forehead, Lorne flinched. He was still far too hot for comfort. “We’re doing the best we can, Major.”

“I know, Doc.”

  1. **Out of Time**



“Lieutenant, come in!” Graves shouted into the radio. No answer. “Lieutenant!” A groan, barely there, almost hidden by static. Then he was running.

There was no time to stop, no time to think.

A scream from his radio only spurred him further. A gunshot stopped him dead. “Reeves?” He asked, voice low. Silence was his answer.

Then a dark chuckle, a voice most definitely not human.

“Too late.”

  1. **Knowing How**



“Sergeant Graves, would you like to help?”

He stared at Teyla like she’d grown a second head.

“I don’t know how.”

A few hours later, and making Athosian bean cakes didn’t seem so daunting anymore.

  1. **Fork in the road**



“Graves, come here.”

“Don’t do what he says, boy. Come with me.”

“Graves?”

“You know it’s for the best, why resist?”

“Ace. Remember when you told us you weren’t theirs anymore?”

“A childish fantasy, of course. What are you doing, boy? Come here this instant!”

“Come on, let’s go home.”

  1. **Start**



The man looked down into the cell, taking a short drag from his cigarette.

“Are you sure this will work, Doctor?”

The other man grinned, rubbing his gloved hands excitedly.

“Well, no. He could die. But theoretically, the good sergeant should be eating out of the palms of our hands in a few weeks.”

  1. **Nature’s Fury**



The rain felt like freezing bullets against their skin. There was no escape from the wind and the cold. They were caught in the middle of a full-blown hurricane. Graves stumbled, barely catching himself to avoid falling. He barely felt the hand around his arm. It was too cold.

“Come on, Graves, just a few more steps.”

  1. **At Peace**



He stared at the corpses through half-lidded eyes. Their faces were contorted in pain, mementos of their last moments alive. It was ironic, really. Life was painful. Twisted. Full of conflicts and horrors. Only in death would they find peace.

  1. **Heart Song**



 

I won’t let it go

I’ll fight ‘til the end

And then you will know

 

Alone with this vision

Alone with this sound

Alone in my dreams

I carry around

 

I will not take from you and you will not owe

I will protect you from the fire below

 

(Who Will Save You Now – Les Friction)

 

  1. **Reflection**



Lorne gently lowered Graves onto the bed, smiling when he realized the sergeant was already asleep. From the pain medication he had taken, Evan knew his subordinate was going to be thirsty when he woke up. He took a glass from the otherwise bare nightstand, heading into the bathroom to fill it with water. He stopped in shock.

His reflection stared back at him, divided into a hundred fragments, stained with what had to be dried blood.

He shuddered.

  1. **Perfection**



Arin sighed, gazing lovingly at his captives back. He could have damaged it, but he had chosen not to, cutting up his chest instead. The scar that ran along his spine was just too perfect. True craftsmanship. In all his years as a torturer, he’d never seen edges so clean, stitches so symmetrical.

It was beautiful.

  1. **Everyday Magic**



Torren cooed at Graves and he stared at the child like it would bite. They remained engaged in a staring battle until the toddler threw out his arms. Demanding, very clearly, to be picked up, cooing almost aggressively. Warily, the sergeant obeyed, wondering when he’d become so entranced by the hell spawn.

Teyla hid her smile.

  1. **Umbrella**



“I’m telling you, it was not designed for this.”

“Relax, Rodney, nothing bad will happen.”

“And how do _you_ know that?”

Graves glanced at Evan as the major sat beside him on the ground. The shorter man just shrugged. Better leave the colonel and McKay to their own devices. He looked up again, staring at the rain pelting against the Jumper’s forcefield.

  1. **Party**



“General, how nice to see you.”

“You too, Admiral.”

“Ah, this must be the operative you’ve been telling me about.”

“He is. Care for a live demonstration? Come here, boy. Why don’t you provide some entertainment for our guests?”

  1. **Troubling Thoughts**



“The mission was a success, sir.”

_Well, you’re still alive, so that can’t be true._

“No, Colonel.”

_Oh, disagreeing with a superior officer, are we? Remember what happens when you do that?_

“I’m not injured.”

_That’s right. With some luck, you’ll bleed out before the next sun rises._

“I’m fine, sir.”

_Liar, liar. But that’s alright, they all want you dead anyways._

  1. **Stirring of the Wind**



A subtle shift in the air. That’s all it took.

He dodged the bullet, shoving Johnson aside. Parrish could examine his plants later.

Now, they had to fight.

  1. **Future**



“What will happen now?”

Graves shrugged.

“Do you anywhere to go to?”

He shook his head.

“Anyone you can stay with?”

He shook his head again.

“What will you do?”

Another shrug.

  1. **Health and Healing**



“Medic!” He shouted and, miracle of miracles, his team’s medic appeared promptly. Graves motioned to Smith, patting him in the back. The injured lieutenant, gave a pained smile. With a nod to the doctor, he re-joined the fray.

  1. **Separation**



Graves sat with his knees to his chest, hiding his face and covering his ears. Trying to get away in any way he could.

Outside the holding cell, Lorne stared at him with saddened eyes and slumped shoulders. He made no sound, putting his hand against the forcefield, feeling his palm tingling.

  1. **Everything For You**



He spat the blood that had welled up in his mouth, coughing. The kicks kept coming, unrelenting in their fury. Lorne made to speak, but Graves sent him a pleading look.

_I can take it._

_Let me do this for you._

  1. **Slow Down**



A growl left him and he took a step towards the trembling Genii, ready to cut him in several uncomfortable places, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Sergeant.” Lorne’s stern voice cut through the air. “Stand down.”

  1. **Heartfelt Apology**



A small body impacted with his legs. He barely moved, looking down, perplexed. A little girl stared up at him, wonder in her eyes. He tilted his head to the side, and she mimicked him. A woman came running, picking up and scolding her daughter.

“Now, what do you say, Lenora?” She told the child. The girl his her face in her mother’s hair.

“Sorry.” Her voice was barely audible, and Graves nodded in understanding.

Lorne barely muffled a chuckle.

  1. **Challenged**



Ronon’s fist met his stomach. Graves clocked him in the jaw for that.

The ex-Runner spit out the blood that had welled in his mouth, grinning.

“That all you got?”

  1. **Exhaustion**



“Graves?” Evan peered into the darkened room. At first glance, it was empty. However, a small movement caught his eye, and he smiled warmly. Still in full gear, his subordinate had fallen asleep, probably the moment he had laid down.

Still smiling, he quietly retreated.

  1. **Accuracy**



“And now you will all suffer you fools-”

Whatever the man had yet to say was cut off by a bullet lodging itself in his skull. Sheppard winced. “A little warning next time, Graves.”

He swore he could hear their sniper chuckle.

  1. **Irregular Orbit**



Zelenka asked for his help at the strangest hours. He swore the man didn’t sleep. And he knew he wasn’t the only person in the base with the gene. Didn’t the scientist have better things to do than ask him to activate a device at four in the morning?

  1. **Cold Embrace**



He was frozen, unable to move. Arms around his shoulders stopped him. He felt his hands shaking. He glanced down, seeing decaying flesh cling to his uniform. He swallowed, barely stopping a cry from escaping his throat.

Genii torture had certainly improved.

_I’m so sorry, Reeves._

  1. **Frost**



“Sir, remaining here any longer will compromise my ability to shoot.”

“ _Don’t worry, Graves, just a few more minutes._ ”

Yeah, a few more minutes of ice jamming his riffle.

  1. **A Moment in Time**



He was startled as a hand touched his face and made him look up to its owner. He was lost in blue eyes so much like his, but so much deeper.

The world around them didn’t exist. The only thing that mattered was each other.

  1. **Dangerous Territory**



“Hey, Sarge, what the hell’s your problem, man?”

Lorne visibly winced as Graves stopped dead in front of the new recruits he was training.

He discreetly took a step back.

Whatever Graves was going to do to them was none of his business. As far as he was concerned, they probably deserved it.

  1. **Boundaries**



The sound made him stop immediately. Lorne looked at Graves, worry marring his features. “What's wrong?” The sergeant looked guilty, sad, but Evan kissed it away. “Love?”

“My neck…” He was silenced by another kiss.

“You don't need to explain it, I won't do it again.”

  1. **Unsettling Revelations**



“What?”

Woolsey sighed at their incredulous expression, readying himself for a long and painful talk. This had been coming for a while now, and of course the IOA had chose him to deliver the news.

“Well, before he came to Atlantis…”

  1. **Shattered**



“Graves?” No answer. No movement. The sergeant didn’t look at them, didn’t even appear to register their presence. Lorne sighed in defeat. Two months since they had gotten him back. Two months with no hope of ever seeing the old Graves again.

  1. **Bitter Silence**



Ace stared at his commanding officer as the man turned his back on him. What had he done wrong? He had only done his job, followed his orders. He had protected Teyla. The Genii deserved to die if they had been threatening a member of the Expedition. Why was Lorne angry with him?

  1. **The True You**



A sneer twisted Graves’ face and he narrowed his eyes. Lorne saw the signs too late. In the blink of an eye, the sergeant had the Genii by the throat, tightening his grip slowly.

“Graves, drop him! That’s an order, Sergeant!”

No reaction. He just kept squeezing, listening to the garbled sounds of his victim. They’d never speak of it.

Lorne pretended he didn’t see a grin on his subordinate’s face.

  1. **Pretence**



Arin smiled sweetly and warmly, his touch suddenly gentle, but Graves knew that inside the man was simply seething, enraged, and losing his patience. Failing to do their jobs did that to anyone.

  1. **Patience**



“Graves, _no_.”

The man huffed, looking away, and Lorne resumed his previous position. It was the third time it had happened. In five minutes. For a sniper, the younger man really didn’t like waiting.

“I told you, I’ll show it to you when it's finished.”

  1. **Midnight**



“Where have you _been_?”

It was Parrish pulling him into the Jumper this time, not Lorne. Surprisingly. Graves guessed it was kind of his fault.

“We were out all _night_ looking for you.”

  1. **Shadows**



Something happened to Graves’ face when the room was dimly lit. Lorne couldn't really understand it, or capture it on paper. Someone more poetic might have said you could see his troubled life, but as a painter, Evan could only mention the shadows.

  1. **Summer Haze**



His team was stretched out in the sand, but he just sat awkwardly next to them. Without warning, Lorne pulled him down and made him lie still.

“Graves, relax.”

  1. **Memories**



_This won't hurt a bit._

_What shall we do to you today?_

_Oh, is the pain too much? Don't worry, just a few more hours._

"Just memories, Graves. Come on, I'm here. Let it go."

  1. **Change in the Weather**



David spent most of his energy cursing at the blizzard and Cadman spent most of hers lamenting the fact that she hadn’t brought anything warmer.

Well, Zelenka _had_ warned them.

  1. **Illogical**



“That isn’t possible.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“But-”

The major’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was no use arguing with a two-year-old.

  1. **Only Human**



When it happened, the entire room stopped in its track, and everyone turned to stare at him, a heavy silence falling over the crowd. He looked back, confused as to why the sudden attention.

That didn't stop him from sneezing again, though.

  1. **A Place to Belong**



“What are you doing here?”

Markham froze. “I, uh-” Parrish crossed his arms over his chest, the other scientists glaring over his shoulder.

“No soldiers here. Out!”

“But Graves is right over there!”

David sent him a Look.

“He’s the only one who won’t set the room on fire by accident.”

  1. **Advantage**



“Major, that’s not fair!”

Lorne looked up with a sheepish grin at Markham. So what if he had been swim team captain for four years? That didn’t necessarily mean he’d always win the races he challenged his team to, did it?

  1. **Breakfast**



“That’s not breakfast.”

Graves looked up at Lorne with a face that said he wanted to disagree, but didn’t know if he should.

Mango ice cream was totally breakfast, right?

  1. **Echoes**



Palmer came out of nowhere, grasping him, mumbling incessantly about pale-haired demons.

_“You’re out of there, son. They’re not going to come after you.”_

Graves hesitated, then put a hand on the other sergeant’s back.

“We’ll get you out of here.”

  1. **Falling**



It was a rather curious set of coincidences that ended with SG-11 all piled up on top of Graves. Apparently, it had all been Parrish’s fault, one way or another. Ace would be happy if they just got off of him.

  1. **Picking up the Pieces**



For once, it was him in this position. He didn't know what to do. He could only mimic what had been done for him. So he wrapped his arms around the major, repeating comforting words, and hoped for the best.

  1. **Gunshot**



The recoil he was expecting never came. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and wonder. For the power of the blast, the recoil should have been hell. One of the perks of energy weapons, he guessed. Ronon smirked.

  1. **Possession**



_You are mine._ A voice whispered from his past.

No, he wasn’t.

“You are mine.” Evan whispered in his ear.

He was willing to be.

  1. **Twilight**



“This is really important, so you have to choose.”

Graves looked down at the general’s daughter, who bravely looked up to him and hoped he would settle the dispute.

Sheppard dragged him away before he was forced to decide on Edward or Jacob.

  1. **Nowhere and Nothing**



_You are nothing. You will never be something. You are ours and we do as we please with you. So stop struggling, boy._

_It will get you nowhere_.

  1. **Answers**



“Where is Atlantis?”

“Who is your leader?”

“What is your military power?”

At this point, Graves was starting to wonder if the Genii were purposefully stupid.

  1. **Innocence**



“You can’t do this!” Carter shouted. “This is not the way the world works!”

Graves snorted, back turned to her.

No, it wasn’t the way the world should work.

  1. **Simplicity**



(Set in Dark!Atlantis)

Graves was a man who didn’t want or need much in life. He didn’t care about riches or women or fame. He didn’t mind not having friends, as he didn’t mind having them. He didn’t even care that much about honour or reputation.

No, he was content enough with the blood on his hands.

  1. **Reality**



Lorne looked on in sadness. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. His sergeant hadn’t been, couldn’t have been responsible for what had happened. It was out of their hands, now, though. But he knew it hadn’t been the real Graves.

Couldn't have been.

  1. **Acceptance**



“It’s okay.” It was whispered in his ear, even as he shook his head. “No one blames you, no one. Not Colonel Carter, not Sheppard, not me, not our team.” A hand through his hair. “You’re safe here, we will never send you away. I promise.”

  1. **Lesson**



“Seriously, how hard can it be?”

Sheppard stared at McKay with a tight smile.

Turns out returning unscathed from one of SG-11’s “survival lessons” was, in fact, impossible.

Thanks, Graves.

  1. **Enthusiasm**



“Hey, guys, Sheppard has given us the day off-”

Evan hadn’t the time to finish his sentence before he was pulled into the Jumper, where his team eagerly awaited.

“We know, sir, and we have also set the coordinates for the nearest planet with a beach.”

  1. **Game**



(Set in Dark!Atlantis)

He sighed dejectedly. Nobody wanted to play with him… And Sheppard had threatened to stab him if he kept asking. A very much anguished scream ripped him out of his thoughts. His face lit up when he saw Lorne dragging a struggling man by the hair through the Gate. The major smiled at him.

“Hey, buddy. Want to play a game?”

  1. **Friendship**



Graves was both touched and confused. Confused as to why people were giving him these, and touched because that many people considered him friends enough to make a friendship bracelet.

  1. **Endings**



It shouldn’t end like this.

“No, no, no…”

But it would.

“Please, Graves, stay with us.”

“Come on, man…”

“Where’s the doc!?”

He closed his eyes. The voices stopped.

Everything stopped.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @the-graves-twins.


End file.
